Kailro ad-switch



'STATES PATENT y orric RAILROAD-SWITCH. 1

Specication of Letters Patent No. 26,270, dated Novembe 29," 1859:

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. JOYNER, of Richmond, in the county ofChittenden and State of Vermont, have invented a new and ImprovedRailroad-Switch; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making a part of thisspecilication, (which drawing is a perspective view of saidrailroad-tracks and switch,) and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

(a) and (b) represent two continuous rails, constituting at the end nearthe observer a single track, and, at the other, the outside rails of twotracks. (c) and (d) are the inside rails of those tracks, (d) formingwith (a) the left, and (c) with (b) the right track. They are continuedtoward the observer until they come so near the outside rails, and (b),as barely to permit the flange of the car wheel to pass freely betweenthem. They are then tapered to a point still preserving the samedistance from the outside rails, and are plated with steel.

" Where they terminate the rails (a) and (b) are so near, that, whileone car-wheel is running on the rail (a) approachingthe beholder, thetread of the other, which has been running on (cl), will lap over and besustained on the rail (E) and (e) are switch rails with the nearer endsslightly curvedinward, and resting on chairs, in which they have someslight play as on pivots. The other ends curve inward still more, andslide on suitable chairs, and are moved by a switch rod infany `usualmanner. The curve is such that, when thrown to the left, the left railpresses against the left wheel of a car going out and forces it into theleft track; and the reverse when thrown to the right.

When the switchis `adjusted for theglefty` l track, it isobviousthatna.locomotivecomf` ing over that track willbelsafelyconducted j upon the single track. And, if it comes fin f that case onthe" right track, thegsame result i will follow, sincethe` rails (a.) `land `(6)""arel 1 y so near together as tosustain bothwheels, l where itleavesthe rail.(`0).\` `Bi1t`,inorder .y to securelthis moreei'ectually, such a curve must be given to the switch rails that, while1 a carwvheelcan passbetween the rail(o)` and the switch rail`that:1side,\whenf`` thrown to the leftQyet, y efore" the wheel dropsoft' the rail (o it willst 'k rail, and "be forcedupon r The advantagesof this -rr y y l. that the bearing rails ar tionary and rm ,that theswitch rail may` bemade `ligh and less expensive and especially that,:whil the trains` maybe directed with suiicien certainty uponeitherbranch,"as` desired, it is practically impossiblefor them `torunzoif l y the track, whichever way they are moving,` and however theswitch may be adjusteda Switches have heretofore beenconstructed withstationary yrailsf, the `inner `approaclrling the outer ones,and"`1`nadeltapering`and1th whole arrangedtlike they.stationary.rails..1y y above described.` Butno adequateprovision y y was made inthemfor thesafetyoftrains coming on one sidemtrack,...whenythe switch was adjustedfor `theother.` 1 y Therefore, what `Iiclaimas lmy invention,` i anddesire to secure by` Letters Patent, is@` y A pair` of switch rails, inconnection witl structed `and arranged asis describedabove; y f Flr-1.JoilfNnn.

Witnesses: c l l l l WM. WESTON, J. GUERIN.

